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Each of us starts our lives in this world by bringing to the table all that we have, all we know, and all the basic intellect and physical gifts in our possession. We crawl, then walk, before we run but we are in there fighting and making a life for ourselves. Later we settle into an adult life that is focused on providing for our families, making sure that all of our kids and wives hae all they need to thrive and the advance.
Later on at sometime during our life’s experience a real sense of clarity about who we are and what we ought to be pursuing. Often, this new insight and aspiration is at odds with being a great provider, husband/wife and we toss our desire aside to return to the grind of being the best resource in the world for those who depend on us. We try to ignore the beating of our heart and the dream that has taken shape in our chest, our mind, and our souls. We begin to day dream and plan to take the leap onto the path that leads to our dream. We try to not discuss our goals with anybody for fear of being ridiculed, misunderstood or rejected. So we keep quiet.
This is the story of many, if not all bodybuilders. But, one day we take the big risk and we share with a trusted friend what we are thinking about and what we are preparing for. Naturally, the fear in that moment is deafening. But, even if the person is totally against what we have shared we will not be deterred. It’s at this point that we realize that we will get very little support or understanding from those we love. It’s also here that we decide to go on.—-ALONE!
There are no HEROES to look up to because this is a brand new world order. So, knowing that we are ALONE we keep after our goals by comparing ourselves against ourselves day by day, picture by picture. We look through magazines to compare our body against all the greats on stage. We up our game. We train harder. We train more often. We train longer. We eat like the stars say we should eat. Our bodies are getting bigger, leaner, more cut, more hard, more veins appear.
Despite being ALONE we learn to reach for the most powerful weapon in our life’s arsenal—OURSELVES! We discover ultimately that nobody cares about me and my success more than me. With a super great EPIPHANY my hero is cut from the massive piece of granite. It takes on all MY characteristics and it becomes obvious, My hero is ME! Unvarnished, rough, and yet solid. When this moment arrives is when we will never depend on anybody else to motivate us or to discipline us to win. “I AM MY OWN HERO! I don’t need a cheering section. Because I finally know who I am and what I want.
Bottom Line: When you are on stage, try to remember that there are 10,000 other guys who wish they could do what I just did. I carry “MY HERO WITH ME EVERYWHERE I GO.” Pick up your hero and follow your dream. Nobody is going to do it for you.
Six Pack and Senior 